//------------------------------// // History and Geography // Story: The Long Twilight // by ultiville //------------------------------// Twilight awoke sometime after dawn. The sun was fully clear of the horizon when she finally stirred; she guessed it was around eight in the morning. She smiled to find Applejack pressed up against her and began to get to her hooves. Her eyes widened when she saw Spike sleeping not far away, and then she stood fully and cried out when she saw Celestia sitting at the edge of the trees, staring east across the plains to the low sun. Twilight trotted over to her, leaving Applejack to groan and stir as she tipped over on to the loamy ground. "Hello, Twilight," Celestia said as she approached, "I'm glad to see you awake again. Are you feeling rested?" "I feel great, but where did you and Spike come from? And where are we?" Celestia filled her in as the others awoke and joined them. "And so here we are," she finished, "on the southeastern border of the Everfree. Is everypony ready to travel?" The others nodded and muttered their assents. "Good. I think we must travel by hoof, as too many of us lack wings, and we may be too visible in the air beside. I would also rather avoid the deep Everfree. If we travel north along this verge, we should be well hidden among the trees, and can cut east along Rambling Rock Ridge. Then we can decide if Ponyville and the train are safe, or if we should continue north through the wilds to Canterlot." "Agreed," Twilight said, "but am I the only one who still doesn't know what's going on, or why we need to go to Canterlot?" "Nah, we're all in the dark," Rainbow said, "the Princess didn't want to say anything until you woke up." "But now she has, and I'll explain everything," Celestia said, "let's go." They set out, keeping well under the canopy. Here on the edge of the forest it was not as dense as the deep forest they were used to, and emerald light filtered through clearly. The undergrowth was similarly more sparse, and travel was not too difficult. Twilight noticed her friends looking around nervously from time to time, but they made an easy trot, and the weather was pleasant. "You all know the story of how ponies came to Equestria," she began, in what Twilight thought of as her lecture voice, "since we tell it every year at Hearth's Warming. How the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, not yet united, fled their ancient homeland in the face of a killing winter. This story is true, but not the whole truth. The winter was caused by wendigos, but their presence was provoked by another, a creature that was once like Luna and I. He has changed, and his name is long lost to time and memory, but where we are princesses, he is a Prince, the only one left in this world. The last true Prince. "Once he was like the two of us, powerful and kind, and did many good deeds, but then tragedy struck. I no longer remember the details, it was so long ago, but a group of ponies he loved was destroyed utterly in a terrible accident. In his grief, he swore to grow even more powerful, to make sure no such thing could happen again, and in his quest he forgot his goodness and wisdom. He discovered, as you did, Twilight, the power contained in friendship and love. But his wounded heart could not embrace it as you did, growing and flourishing in harmony with others. Instead he discovered a way to feed on the love of others, to take their power for his own. In doing so, he drained the love and compassion of his victims. He drew recklessly, and the whole continent felt the effects, and in the resulting strife, it became a paradise for wendigos, and there meets the hearth warming tale." "Brrr," Rarity shivered, "I can almost feel the cold just from thinking about it." "It ain't from thinking, sugar, I feel it too," Applejack looked around, then pointed her muzzle towards the forest to the northwest. "I think the Everfree weather's acting up again." Twilight felt it too, now, a chill wind passing through the trees, and shivered a little. Celestia frowned, but continued her tale. "When the ponies arrived in Equestria, the distance from the Prince, and the true hearts of Equestria's earliest heroes, healed the rift between the tribes, and drove off the wendigos. But the Prince followed, intent on draining this new love of unity. My sister and I pursued, and the Prince was our first great enemy, even before Discord, and the first great test of the new Equestrian society." The ponies continued to listen in silence, interested to varying levels. The sky darkened from the west, towering stormclouds building over the Everfree. The chill wind continually swirled around them. "The war lasted nearly a century, and its legacy persists to this day. As is probably obvious, we were victorious, but even in victory we could not kill the Prince, nor force him from Equestria. It was all we could do to defeat and imprison him. He is now sealed in a block of unmelting ice in the deepest pit of Tartarus." "His power sounds a lot like how the changelings feed," Twilight said, "are they related?" "Yes," Celestia sighed, "it was some time before we discovered and tamed Tartarus, and we did not at first understand the threat the Prince posed, even sealed away. We put him in a prison and left ponies to guard him, but he was able to speak to them even from his confinement, and tempt them to use his techniques. They were corrupted, and became the first changelings. Most were killed when they revealed their new power, but Chrysalis slipped away instead, and found some way to raise her brood. There are many evils in Equestria for which the Prince takes no blame, but also many for which he must answer." "This is all fascinating," Rarity said, "but also terrifying, since I fear that you are now going to inform us this Prince is responsible for our recent troubles." The clouds rolled above the canopy, cutting off the pleasant emerald light entirely. The wind howled, and Celestia scowled, and raised her voice above it. "I fear this storm is not the Everfree's doing, my little ponies. I now may need to rush the tale. But sadly yes, Rarity. I do not understand why, but the Prince's power has been growing once more. I had seen some signs, but did not believe them. Now, though, I fear there can be no doubt. Those ponies that attacked you on the train are unmistakable. They are known as the empty, and are the remains of those drained of all love by the Prince or his most trusted generals. It was one of these generals that attacked you last night. I fear she also gathers these storm-clouds against us, perhaps with help. I now fear war with the Prince is coming again. The item you carry may hold all our hopes for a quick victory, but I will not name or explain it in their hearing. We must wait until we reach Canterlot." "Can we save those poor zombie ponies?" Pinkie asked. "Some of them, perhaps. While they are not exactly 'zombie ponies' as you mean it, you are not too far from the truth. Some of the power the Prince harvests from their love and harmony remains in them, and sustains them in an ageless half-life; some of the forces he has now summoned are survivors even of that first war, so long ago. If the Prince were defeated truly, his corrupt spirit driven from the world, enough love might be returned to restore them, but their years cannot be denied. Those that were turned recently, like the ones you fought on the train, would recover, but the rest would immediately face the full weight of all their lost years." The other ponies fell silent at this, and from the darkening skies above, a flash of lightning shone an eerie green through the thick canopy, echoed after a distressingly short time by a peal of thunder. "I'm going to check that out," Rainbow Dash said, and shot into the sky. She alighted on a branch and pressed her head above the canopy to look. With a curse, she leapt off and dove back down to the group. "Yeah, that's no Everfree storm, I saw a whole flock working the clouds." As if to mark her words, another bolt of lightning flashed, and the sky opened up in torrential rains. "Run," Celestia said, and took her own advice, breaking immediately into a gallop. The others joined her. Ahead through the curtains of rain they could see Rambling Rock ridge looming above them, and as they reached it they turned east. The storm grew stronger, and their coats were soaked through. Lightning now flashed steadily, and the rumble of thunder barely faded from one peal to the next. One bolt split a tree in half within sight of the desperate crew. Twilight looked up and saw dark forms striking the clouds above them with their hooves, bringing forth the bolts. "They're aiming them for us!" "I don't think we can stay out in it," Applejack yelled over the thunder, "anypony got any ideas?" No one replied, but Celestia increased her pace further. Large hailstones began to fall along with the rain, and one slammed painfully into Twilight's back. She threw up a shield, but the hammering hail and occasional lightning bolt were hitting it hard. "Look," Applejack shouted from next to her, pointing up the ridge with a hoof, "we could take shelter in there!" Twilight's eyes followed and she saw a narrow cave a few hundred feet up the ridge. Celestia frowned at it, and paused, but now pebble-sized hailstones had entirely replaced the rain. Twilight's shield held, but she was straining, and above them the pegasi were pushing the clouds closer and closer. "I don't think we have a choice," she said, "I can't keep this shield up all the way to Ponyville!" Celestia nodded and changed course, and they scrambled up the muddy ridge to the cave. The entrance was narrow, but wide and tall enough to take at speed, and it seemed to continue into a tunnel. Applejack arrived first and hurried in, going well back to give the others plenty of room to enter. She got ready to stop, but a blinding flash filled the cave, and then a phenomenal crash as a bolt of lightning struck directly above the entrance. "Keep running!" came the frantic cry from behind her, and she did, rushing in. A deafening clatter echoed all throughout the cave, massive rocks grinding on each other in the aftermath of the strike. The entrance to the cave was left entirely blocked. "Everypony still with me?" The full seven voices shouted out in the affirmative, and Twilight let out a long breath. Behind them, the last rumbles of the collapsing rock face faded, and all of them slowed to a walk, breathing heavily. Celestia seemed to cast her own soft glow, which revealed that the tunnel opened into a substantial cavern. It was large enough that the far wall and ceiling were not visible in the dim light, but the near wall shone with purple and blue. Rarity gasped, and moved to examine it. All along the wall large crystals protruded, in a variety of colors, though the largest and most common were the purple and blue that dominated Celestia's light. Dazzled, Rarity gazed at the beautiful stones as Twilight moved next to her. "Oh," Twilight said after a moment, "this is fascinating! I don't think this is a natural formation. Look! These crystals are set in the stone, and it looks like they're cut. I think somepony put these here. Maybe there's a pattern..." "We shall see about that!" Rarity said, and her horn glowed. All along the vast wall of the chamber, the gems lit up with Rarity's magic. The ponies stepped back to look, then walked several paces further as the scale of the project hit them, their hoofbeats echoing in the distance. Finally the full image came into view, and arrayed before them was a massive, draconic head, displayed in profile. The creature had unusually soft features for a dragon, with a face shaped more like a pony's, and was outlined entirely in blue, save the ridge of scales along its head and neck, which were traced in purple, and it's eyes, which were filled in a brilliant yellow. Unlike the dragons they'd encountered in the Great Dragon Migration, this one seemed to carry an intelligent, discerning look, and wore a large gold crown, lovingly detailed in a host of colored gems. "Whoa," Spike said, "now that's the kind of dragon I'd like to learn from." "I wish you could as well," Celestia said from behind the others, and they turned to face her. Unlike the awe on their faces, the princess had a small frown, and her eyes were misty. "Alas, none are left. Or at least, almost none. You are right, these dragons are not quite the same as those you've met. They were close relatives, something like ponies are to zebras or mules. Ponies and zebras and mules are all good folk, though, and differ mostly in body, not in mind. These dragons and the ones you met...well, let us say I would much rather have dealt with these. And did, in fact, gladly, when first I came to Equestria." "Oh," Spike said sadly, "so they aren't the same as me, after all. I thought..." "Oh my dear Spike," Celestia said, and a tear rolled down her cheek, "I hoped to spare you this pain for some time yet. They were like you. I fear you are the last of them. I am so sorry that our enemy brought us here, before I hoped." The assembled ponies gasped, and Spike's eyes widened. "Wait, I'm...what happened? And why are you sorry? This is awesome! I don't have to worry about turning into a monster when I grow up?" "Not unless you give in to greed," Celestia said, "but as far as I know, you are the very last of your once-great people. This was their city, but now I fear it is their tomb, or worse. I do not know what we will find here, but while I hope it will bring you peace, I do not expect it. "But let me tell you first your story, as you deserve to hear. I had planned to wait, but this will not be the first plan my old enemy has ruined. That figure on the wall is King Macetail the Great, and he was your grandfather. During the first great war, when we imprisoned the Prince, these dragons were our allies. They were glad to share Equestria with us - they lived underground, in their city of wonders, and traded with us for goods from the surface, rather than venturing out themselves. And so they marched to war with us against the Prince. "Like all of us, they suffered greatly in the war. They were brave, so brave, Spike, and refused to shy from battle. They served in the front, protecting the unicorns and pegasi from the teeth of the Prince's servants, but many lost their lives early on, including their Prince Steelscale and Princess Longfang, your parents. After that happened, Macetail trusted your egg with me, in case the city fell. "He proved sadly prescient in this. I don't know exactly what happened, though I have tried over the years to sort it out, but I believe somehow the enemy gained entrance from further underground, and took the city by surprise. By the time Macetail realized the danger, too many of his own people had been turned to empties. He sent me a message with his fire - yes, that is a spell I learned from him - but by the time I arrived, all I could do was wipe out the abominations gloating over the city's corpse." Twilight had never before heard Celestia sound so disgusted. "But," Spike sat down and paused for a moment, "you said that was ages ago. Why did I take so long to hatch?" "I don't know," Celestia said, "Macetail gave you to me for safekeeping, but I don't think he expected what happened, just that your egg might be damaged in fighting. So I had no idea what to do with it, or how it might hatch. At first I just let it sit and hoped. Then I researched and tried every method or spell I could find or think of or invent. I even sat on your egg for several months, like a chicken. But finally, I...I'm ashamed to say, Spike, I gave up. When I gave Twilight the egg as her exam, I never expected her to be able to hatch it. I was using it as a test of character, to see how my prospective students dealt with an impossible magical challenge. It was a test I thought everypony would fail." Spike hung his head to the ground. Quickly, both Twilight and Celestia were at his side. Celestia spoke first. "Spike, I have never been so happy to be wrong. When Twilight hatched you, I felt a weight lifted from me that I'd forgotten I was carrying, the last gift to Macetail, who gave everything for us. And when she adopted you, and you turned out to be just as brave and noble as your father and grandfather, I was so proud to have had a part in that, so proud of you, no matter how long it took." Twilight nuzzled him, and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I still don't know what I did to hatch you," she said, "but I've never been happier with a spell. And however many years it took, I'm the luckiest pony ever to have you. I'd have been lost so many times without my number one assistant." "We all would, darling," Rarity nuzzled Spike from behind, and then was joined by a chorus of agreement from the others, who crowded around the dragon as closely as they could. "Thanks, everypony," he said unevenly, "I hadn't thought about it like that, but you were all worth the wait, no matter how long it was. And it's okay, Princess, I know you did everything you could." "I...thank you Spike," Celestia said, "I did, but it makes me feel better to hear you say it. I'm sorry I held this from you. I told myself you were too young, but you're a wonderful young dragon, and wise, and have dealt with so much already. I think I was kidding myself, and didn't want to relive those days, to think about all this again. I'm so sorry." "It's ok," Spike said, "though I'm really glad you told me now. I can see how that would be hard. But I'm happy to know my parents were so great! I was really worried about getting bigger, that I might turn in to some kind of jerk, like I almost did that once. Knowing there's another way was worth hearing all that sad stuff." "I fear you may do more than hear about it," Celestia said. "I don't know that we can shift those rocks behind us, and even if we could, they're waiting for us, with I suspect more of the Prince's forces on the way. The city had another gate, on the far side, facing Canterlot, the Trade Gate. If they don't realize what we've found here, we may slip their net. Spike, do you have any more questions before we go?" "Uh," Spike said, "I'm sure I'll have more later, but for now...you said there were empty dragons that attacked the city. Are you sure you got rid of all of them?" Celestia turned away and began walking deeper into the cavern. The others followed her, and gradually Macetail's image again sunk into the endless night. "No," she said finally, "not sure at all."